Ignite My Bones
by queenlocksley
Summary: AU: Regina and Robin are both single parents who's lives revolve around their sick children living in the hospital, feeling helpless in their situations they find comfort in each other's friendship and then maybe something more.
1. Chapter 1

**[A/N: I saw this and loved this and immediately the ideas came flowing to me so this is for nephelite. Enjoy!] **

Regina is sniffling as she stands in line for coffee in the hospital cafeteria. She's not the only one crying, it's a hospital after all and rarely are there pleasant reasons one finds ones' self in one, sans childbirth. She bounces on the balls of her feet, hands shoved deep in the warmth of her Jean pockets, as she waits in this seemingly at a stand still line for coffee, she thinks she should have brought her cardigan wrap after all. Then perhaps this god forsaken line would not seem such a life shattering event, she would not be covered in chill bumps, bouncing on her feet, sniffling in line if she had just brought her cardigan wrap because she'd be warm and have no need for ridiculously over priced hospital coffee. But she hadn't. Her cardigan wrap was strewn over the plush lounge chair in her bedroom, piles of miscellaneous paper work scattered on top of it and the novel she had just finished, anchoring the papers down. (It had been a light-hearted romance, and the last book she had read before shit the fan...again. Before shit hit the fan again.)

Regina hated hospitals, hospitals had brought her nothing bit misery in the thirty-two short years she had been alive. First it had been when her father was shot and died when she was but barely a woman. Next her mother had a heart attack, completely out of the blue a few years later. Regina had been newly engaged then, which brings her to the last time she was in a hospital...before all of this. She remembers it vividly, how uncomfortable the hospital chairs were with her big belly. She was almost seven months pregnant at the time, her and Daniel were engaged to be married. (Having decided mutually to post-pone the wedding so that their son would be there with them; Regina also wanted to be able to fit into her dress.) But she never made it down the aisle; not with Daniel. He'd gone into heart failure and was put on the transplant list but so many people are on the list and Daniel's condition only worsened. He was an adult and children need hearts too, and all the reasons the doctors had given her as to why he was so far down on the list had turned to mush over the years because in the end all that Regina knew was that he had not gotten a heart and he died. The only peace she had was that he'd held his son, moments before leaving them. Regina had all but thrown a fit to get her fiancé to be able to hold his son and because of his dire state they made an exception to their rules.

That was when she was twenty four years old and since then she had never stepped foot in a hospital until a couple months ago when she noticed her son coughing up blood, something Daniel had done that she late learned was a sign of heart failure. Regina had frenzied around in a panic and taken Henry to the emergency room, he was in heart failure. Regina whimpers now, a single tear slipping down het face as she remembers hearing the same earth shattering news for a second time, but this time about her son, which somehow made the news worse. She didn't realize she had started full on crying until a hand was on her shoulder. She flinched, ripped from her thoughts and turned to see the line of people waiting had moved leaps and bounds and she was holding up the line. Regina wiped at her eyes and turned waving her hand at the man who had tapped her shoulder, "Sorry," she whispers as she walks forward and pays for the coffee. She accept the cup and walks away, so she's not holding up the line anymore. Regina sips at the liquid and as the burning coffee slips down her throat she twists her face in disgust, spitting and gasping for air. "What the hell is this?" she sputters and its too much.

Everything is too much because the coffee is crap and she can't control the sobs that rake through her. The man who had nudged her earlier is at her side. He places a tentative hand on her back and she flinches at the touch. "I'm sorry," He apologizes retracting his hand."I just couldn't help but- are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Regina manages through her sobs turning to face him. "It's just...this coffee is crap and everything is crap!" And she's sobbing again making incoherent noises as she struggles to silence herself but she can't.

He take a sip from the coffee cup and chokes on the horrible liquid. "Well," he reaches over and takes the coffee cup from her and his own and discards both of them in the trash can. He retrieves a handful of napkins from the dispenser and presses them into her palm.

"Thank you," Regina whispers as she wipes at her eyes with the napkins and he thinks he sees the corners of her lips twitch into a slight smile. She crumples up the used napkins and outstretches her hand, "Regina."

"Robin," He says shaking her hand lightly. "Do you need to go back-"

"No, god no. I can't go sit in that room and watch my son dying and not be able to do emanything/em! I need some time away from that room," Regina says with a shake of her head.

"I'm so sorry," Robin coos and Regina thinks that as she looks into his blue eyes she doesn't see pity but understanding. (Which is good because she's not sure she can do one more pitying look.) "Do you want to-" he sweeps his arm out motioning towards the cafeteria tables and she nods, starting forward and claiming a table. She sits with a sigh holding her head in her hands.

"Why are you here, Robin?" She asks once he's seated.

"My son, Roland, he has neuroblastoma," Robin admits solemnly. "He's only got a few years."

"Robin, I'm so sorry," She reaches out instinctively and takes his hands in hers, running her thumbs over his knuckles. No wedding ring she notes and then scolds herself. "No one should lose their child, and I'm in a similar situation but my troubles are nothing compared to knowing, knowing what the end result will be. How do you do it," She says and then corrects herself. "I'm sorry I of all people should no better than to push people on the subject-"

"No it's fine," he assures her with a smile but his eyes are tear filled. "I don't know, I take each punch as it comes, try to roll with it. It's like the Theory of Spinning Out."

"The what?" Regina asks and even though she bites on her bottom lip to try and conceal he laughter a slight giggle escapes.

"The Theory of Spinning Out," he restates before indulging her and explaining. "It's like with your car when you spin out on ice what do they say to do?"

"Don't die?" Regina supplies and he shakes his head at her. "Spin in to it?"

"Yes! Exactly! Spin into it. Well my theory with life is that you have to do the same, when the shit hits the fan you have to spin into it. If you're going through hell keep on going, same thing, because trying to spin out of it will only make things worse. Trying to make the situation anything other than what it is is pointless and will only cause more pain." Robin sighs now, eyes dropping as he adds in a huff, "Marian didn't get that."

"Marian?" Regina starts, dropping her hold on his hands and leaning back into her chair.

"She was my wife," Robin says as he raises his gaze to meet her's again. "I guess it's true what they say, sick kids destroy marriages."

Regina nods, she has heard many a screaming match between parents outside closed doors of sick children's hospital rooms. "So," he clears his throat, inheritor his fingers and reclines eyeing her over. "Regina," her name sounds different with his soft accent buy a good different. "Is your significant other-"

"He's dead. Died of heart failure the day my son was born and fast forward eight short years and now my son's dying of the same thing." She does not mean to sound bitter and resentful but she is, she hates hospitals, blames hospitals. It's easier than getting in a screaming match with the universe, not that she doesn't still do that, "My mother, father and my fiancée all died in hospitals. I guess I pissed someone off in a past life and now everyone around me is paying for it." Robin chuckles and Regina teases, "This is the part where you run."

"I'm sure you're not cursed, I mean eight years, you've probably dated other men and they lived to tell the tale," He adds with a half-hearted shrug and she smiles.

"I haven't had much by way of boyfriends, except Graham...who died in a hunting accident, but we weren't together. He and I ha just gotten into a huge screaming match and I had told him to leave so he packed a bag and left. A week later I found out reading the morning paper."

"Oh my god," Robin says and for a moment Regina tenses up with fear and then he laughs. "Who reads the paper anymore?" She laughs along with that and they both are feeling much better than they were when they first entered the damned cafeteria.

"I should probably get back," Regina is the first to speak breaking the silence that had fallen over them. "Henry has probably woken up by now and he'll be hungry. I have to make sure he eats something decent because those nurses are suckers for the pleading eyes of sick children."

"Yea, Roland will be finished with his playtime by now and want to see his Papa since his mother is long gone."

"Wait she left? I know you implied divorce but she- she isn't even visiting her child at the hospital where he's-" Regina feels her hands ball into fist and her stomach knot with rage because how can a mother not be there for her baby. She can't wrap her mind around it.

"Marian couldn't take it, watching her baby die, she couldn't take any of this and she wasn't the same woman I fell in love with all those years ago. She left when he was just a tot, so he doesn't remember her but he feels love, from all the nurses and staff. He's not without love-"

"I didn't mean I just meant, yea it's horrible and awful to watch my son go through what he's going through but I couldn't leave except to come here I guess. I need to be there to hold my baby, to coddle him, he would be alone it I left him." Regina shakes her head. "But it's not my place."

"No, it's nice hearing someone else thinking her actions are shut and not just me." Robin promises her. "You should get back to your son, though I hope we can meet again for some horrible crap coffee." He extends a hand and helps her to her feet and she smiles, nodding her head.

"I'd like that, it's nice having someone who understands," Regina confesses and they walk back to through the cafeteria and ride the elevator together.


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N: Yay! So I was super excited with the first part of this fic but I was prepared to abandon my plans for future parts it it didn't go over well with you guys but almost all the feedback was asking if I was going to continue this so here we go. The fic lives on!] **

Regina parts ways with Robin as the elevator doors open and she goes left, he goes tight towards the oncology unit. She ducks her head in Henry's room and finds him awake and flipping through the channels on the tv, grumbling about nothing good being on. "'Morning, little prince," She greets and he looks her way a smile spreading on his lips as she walks over and crawls into bed with him, snuggling him against her side.

"You don't have to work today?" Henry asks, always worried about her, putting her first even as he lays here in the hospital bed.

"Henry," Regina kisses his nose, stroking his bangs about of his eyes. "I'm the Mommy, I have to worry about the grown-up stuff, all I want you to worry about is getting better and getting out of here, deal?" He nods his head. Deal. "Good, and no, I am the boss. I called Sidney and he promised to take care of everything in my absence. Now back to you," she tickles his belly and he laughs. "What do you want to do today? We can read more of Lemony Snicket or watch the Avengers, SpiderMan, whatever you want."

"Mommy, I don't feel good," Henry mumbles turning into her and she wraps her arms fiercely around her son, holding him against her.

"You're probably just hungry," She assures him, prays that's all it is. "Where's it feel bad?"

"My stomach," He supplies and Regina nods, relief flushing over her.

"We'll see what we can do about getting you lunch early," Regina promises planting a soft kiss on his lip. "But as a distraction let's watch some shows-" She reaches across him for the remote and flips to the kids channel. There's a knock at the door that has both their heads turning, the way Henry's grip tightens does not go past Regina's notice.

She knew he didn't like the doctors, constantly poking him with needles, taking his temperature, taking blood, prodding him. Who would? But she realized now he didn't just dislike them, he had grown to fear them. But it wasn't a doctor, well not one who had come to poke and prod at her son. It was the therapist. Henry relaxed immediately, he loved therapy time because with the therapist was his constant companion and therapy dog, a beautiful dalmatian named Pongo.

"Henry," Dr. Hopper greeted with a smile as Pongo scampered in beside him. "Madam Mayor." He nodded at her.

"Dr. Hopper, if I've told you once I've told you a thousand times, it's just Regina, maybe even Ms. Mills, here. Not everyone knows who I am and I'd prefer to keep it that way," She teases the doctor, getting up from Henry's bed. (Not before ruffling his hair of course.) She passes by Pongo, scratches his head and pets him emphatically.

Dr. Hopper waves his hand, "Apologies, Regina." Turning all his attention on Henry now his smile widens. "How are we feeling today, Henry?"

"Hungry!" Henry replies and Dr. Hopper laughs. "But good. Pongo! Pongo! Come here boy!" he calls to the dog who eagerly tugs at his owner's hold on his leash, keeping him away from the boy.

"Easy, Pongo," Dr. Hopper warns and the dog calms almost instantly. "How's everything going Henry-" his next words are interrupted by the shrill chirping of Regina's cell phone. She glance at the screen. Sidney. What. Now, she wonders as she pulls the phone all the way out of her pocket and bows out of the room.

"What now, Sidney?" Regina snaps into the phone, her patience already incredibly thin.

"Madam Mayor, I didn't want to bother you-"

"Looks like you neglected on you better judgement," She remarks.

"But there's a power outage, and it's a whole block of the city completely in the dark and more houses and buildings are losing power as we speak. It's heading towards the hospital," That has her attention.

"Well it's not like it's some sort of curse, Sidney, it's probably a fault cable line or some rodent or a fallen tree, though I doubt a fallen tree could cause as much damage as you're making it seem." She snaps walking a ways down the hall so Henry doesn't over hear her if she starts to yell at the bloody fool that's her assistant.

"You know where the back-up generators are Sidney, go start them up and call the electrician I don't see why you needed to call me and interrupt my time with my son, need I remind you, dying son-"

"Madam Mayor, forgive me if I yearn to hear the sound of your voice," Sidney starts and her stomach twists in disgust.

"Sidney stop," Regina warns.

"Regina, please let me take you out for a good time-"

"It's Madam Mayor if you want to keep your job," She hisses.

"You need to get away from that god-awful hospital, I can show you the world, a good time, some wine end the night showing you my-"

"SIDNEY!" Regina roars and heads turn her way, she realizes she's wandered down the hall and stands outside the play room where children off all ages gather with their friends or parents to play. She sees Robin glance up from behind the glass barrier serving as walls keeping the children in and heat rushes to her cheeks.

"Sidney, I'm hanging up now. I've told you no several times before, this is strictly professional. I'll be in to work tomorrow, don't call me until then. Goodbye." She hangs up quickly, shoves the phone back in her pocket and tries to make a quick escape before Robin can confront her about it but he's fast.

"Regina," she hears his voice and stops. "Everything okay?"

She shrugs, "Define okay." He's not satisfied with this answer and so she adds, "Just some work troubles, nothing big. Nothing important."

Robin nods, not wanting to push her for anymore than she's willing to give. Regina turns her attention back to the playroom filled with children giggling and screaming with joy, a rare noise in a hospital.

Suddenly a little boy tottles out, wearing green shorts with monkeys on it and a green hospital gown over them. He smiled a big dimpled grin and tugged lightly at Robin's pant leg. The child had dark eyes and wore a matching green bandana to cover his bald head.

"Papa," the boy greeted and Robin turned his attention to the little boy.

"Hello, Roland," Regina greeted, crouching down to his eye level.

"You're a pretty lady," Roland remarks smiling at her and he glances up at his father. "Isn't she pretty Papa?"

Regina smirks up at Robin waiting for his answer and he's blushing despite his attempts to hide it. Robin shifts his weight from foot to foot. Roland gets impatient, furrows his brow at his father.

"She is a pretty lady, Roland, a very pretty lady, but it's not polite to not call people by their names. Why don't you ask her?"

"I was compamenting her," Roland argues and Regina laughs.

"Complimenting," she corrects automatically. "My name is Regina."

"Regina," He says the name carefully and she nods approvingly. "Nice to meet you." She extends her had and the little boy shakes it eagerly.

"Papa I just wanted to know if I could have some juice," Roland asks batting his thick lashes and twisting from side to side.

"Roland, you know you can't have juice today it'll make you get sick." the boy pouts his lip and sighs with a heavy lift of his shoulders before running off to play again.

Regina straightens, her knees cracking and she groans. It's been a while since she has crouched that low, Robin chuckles under his breath and she shoots him a daring glance.

"Roland has your dimples," Regina states as Robin watches Roland, the same dimples in his smile and she can't help but smile watching him watching Roland.

"He gets everything else from his mother, her coloring, dark eyes and when he had hair. He had a whole mess of dark curls," He practically beams talking about his sun and Regina could just drown herself in this light coming off of him.

"Well, then Marian must have been a beautiful woman," She follows his gaze, watches as Roland puts one block too many on his tower and they all topple; has him laughing and making more towers just to knock down.

"Perhaps, but Roland wasn't wrong either," He states not moving his gaze and she nods. "Did you remarry?"

"What?" Regina asks startled by his question.

Robin moves, motions to her left ring finger. "You have a slight imprint from a ring, one that wouldn't be there eight years later, but it would if you remarried. Did you?"

"You're quite the detective, aren't you Sherlock?" Regina teases, running her fingers over her ring finger. "But yes, I did remarry."

"Graham?"

"No, and I can add him to the small list of people I have known for a while who haven't died." She laughs. "I'm three years divorced."

"Short and sweet, maybe that's the way it was meant to be," He remarks absent-mindedly, dropping his gaze from watching his boy play.

Regina shakes her head, "I don't believe that."

He glances at her, a mix of shock and awe on his face. "You don't?"

"No, when it's the real deal, when it's true, it's the most magical thing and it's forever."

"You speak from experience?" He asks, "Daniel?"

She purses her lips and shake her head. "I used to think so but no. I'm sure Daniel and I would have stayed together, but I'm not the person Daniel fell in love with back then, and I don't think I ever really was that girl."

"Your second husband then?"

"My- Leopald?" Regina can't help herself, she laughs openly. "You have to understand the reason I married Leopald and you have to know the whole story."

"My fiancée had just died, I was in the middle of grad school and a new mom. I couldn't hold my own, I ran into Leopald by chance. He saw in me a mother for his daughter who was twelve at the time. I saw him as safety."

"He had money, lots of it and we were married a year later." Regina shrugs it off.

"Why'd you-" Robin doesn't say it, won't say the d-word. Divorce.

"Mary Margaret went to college, she didn't need a Mom anymore and there was no love. Leopald wasn't exactly my age," she is gauging his reaction to this buy it just rolls off of Robin. "He was older than my father would jaw been, but he guaranteed food and safety and water and a roof over our heads. Plus he was in power because of a reason his networks helped me rise the career laand get a career of my own- I'm rambling, sorry," she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're not rambling, you're telling your story and I'm here to hear it. I want to hear it," Robin assures her. "Never apologize for telling your story."

"Well there's not much more to it so," Regina asks deflecting the attention from herself.

"Did Henry call Leopold, was he his father figure or?"

"No, Leopald wanted a mother and a fuck buddy, that was all. But Henry and Mary Margaret are still very close," the elevator doors ding and out steps Mary Margaret, Regina glances to the clock. Right on time. "Speak of the devil."

"Mary Margaret!" Regina calls and the girl turns her head. She's beautiful long curly black hair and green eyes full of curiosity, skin as white as snow.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret waves and walks over throwing her arms around Regina, and Robin notes how Regina hesitates before wrapping her arms around the girl. Pressing her cheek to her hair and holding her close, a mother's touch.

"How've ya been, kid?" Regina asks pulling back from the embrace.

"I'm just going to duck out now," Robin interjects.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, where are my manners, Mary Margaret this is Robin..." Regina purses her lips, she doesn't know his last name.

"Locksley," he finishes for her and extends his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Robin Locksley," The girl shakes his hand and smiles. "I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard. I'm Henry's tutor, I'm a student-teacher and I help him with his homework while he's unable to attend school."

"And his sister, I've heard," Robin adds and she beams wider.

"Yea, I am!" She nods and looks back down the corridor in the direction of Henry's room. "Is he ready for me?"

"Whenever you're ready, dear," Regina informs her.

"Well it was nice to meet you," she waves and starts off. They both watch her bounce away, her gait changing as she opens his door and enters his room. Dr. Hopper exits bringing Pongo with him and heads to the next door.

"It's nice to have someone to talk to," Regina says before she can stop herself. "Thank you for that."

"I have a theory for that," Robin tells her. "The Theory of Hide-and-Seek." Regina raises her eyebrows at this and he goes on to explain himself. "Everyone likes to hide their problems rather than talk about them, but eventually hiding all by yourself the loneliness creeps in and you start to wonder if anyone even cares, if anyone even and when you're found, when you tell your problems to someone else, you feel that they do care, you don't feel alone."

Regina ponders that for a moment and just stands there letting it sink in, before she opens her mouth next. "You're a wise man, Robin Locksley, do you know that?"

"I like to think that, yes," Robin nods and they're both laughing.

"See you around Locksley," Regina waves and turns disappearing down the hallway back towards her son and Robin watches as she enters his room. She smiles her brightest when she's with her son, and as he watches her he feels a warmth envelop him. He feels something he hasn't felt in a long time, not since Marian left two years ago, it felt like she had taken a part of him with her but Regina. She had brought that part back and was making her claim. She was the first woman who hadn't run at his baggage of 'I have a dying child', she knew what it was he was going through, she knew the struggles and she smiled through it. Robin smiled as Regina climbed onto the hospital bed and curled up with her son, her favorite spot, and as the girl, Mary Margaret picked up a book and began reading to theme.


	3. Chapter 3

"And the young queen threw open the tavern door, her heart racing as she spots the man illuminated in green. The man the fairy had prophesied to be her true love, her soul mate, she sees him and takes a breath," Regina finishes the bed time story. "That's all for tonight, we'll pick up tomorrow where we left off."

"But what's going to happen?" Henry whines and she laughs, kissing his forehead.

"I guess you'll have to ponder that as you drift off to sleep," She teased. "Okay, it's bed time Mary Margaret and I are going to leave so you can sleep. Goodnight." Regina gets up and flicks the light off. The plastic stars that were plastered to the ceiling glowing brightly. "I love you."

"I love you, Mom," Henry smiled back at her and she smiles back, blowing him a kiss.

"'Night lil' brother," Mary Margaret kissed his forehead and squeezed his hand, following after Regina.

"Love you, too," Henry said, barely able to hold his eyes open and yawning. Regina closes the door and starts toward the elevator with Mary Margaret to guide her out.

"He's a smart boy, Regina, such a smart boy," Mary Margaret days as they walk, breaking the silence Regina had hoped would cover them on their short trek.

She can't help but nod, because yes, her son is a brilliant boy. He's magnificent and intelligent, curious with the world around him, he is her most prized possession. Her baby. "He is," is all she says.

"How- how are you doing, Regina?" She asks, stopping in her tracks and placing a hand on Regina's arm, rubbing her thumb in small calming circles.

Regina thinks about answering him for a moment and then thinks better of it. Mary Margaret is fragile, she sees the good in everyone and everything in a world of darkness, and she always tries to have hope. She pure, and Regina's problems, the weight of her pain and grief, the truth that there is only hope that Henry will pass peacefully would destroy her.

"How are you? How's your new teaching job?" She inquires diverting the attention from herself.

Mary Margaret's eyes sparkle at the mention of her job and her usual warm smile spreads across her lips. "It's good, great. I am a student-teacher for Mr. Nolan, and Regina if that man won't be the death of me. He's just so gorgeous! I can barely focus on y job when he's in the room because I just- I just-" she practically whispers the next part, blushing like a virgin. "I just want to jump his body."

Regina laughs and wraps her arm around her step-daughter's shoulders. "He must really be something, if he makes you feel that way."

"I'm not a child anymore, Regina, I'm not a prude," Mary Margaret chastises.

"Hey, too each his own, but tell me, he's not married is he? Or seeing someone? Or gay? The hot ones always are," Regina say and the girls laugh.

"He's newly divorced and all the ladies call him 'Charming'," at this Mary Margaret giggles and Regina fights the urge to roll her eyes, she doesn't have to fight hard though because just looking at this magnificent woman standing before her she can't help but beam.

She remembers when she was but a timid and shy child who saw Regina and clung to her. Her mother had been dead less than a year and her father had been searching for a replacement mother for her that whole tome, according to Leopold, Regina was the only one Mary Margaret had reacted that way towards. She latched onto Regina, clinging to her and studying her, asking her questions about life and love and her hobbies. She sought refuge in Regina and they became friends, they did. Regina notes thinking back, she was friend's with her little Snow Bird, as she called her, before she was the Mama Bird.

Regina remembers when Mary Margaret came up to her chest and now she all but towers over her. Regina pushes back two strands of Mary Margaret's ebony hair, just like she did when she was a little girl, and pulls the child into her arms, pressing a kids to her cheek. "What happened to us, Snow Bird? You're all grown up, and I'm living out of a hospital." She starts to tear up and chokes back het sobs.

Mary Margaret pulls back and wipes her step-mother's tears smiling. She cups Regina's face in her palms and shakes her head, tears in her eyes, smile on her lips. "Have hope, things will get better, they have too." Regina fights back the urge to remind her that's it never worked out that way for her in the past, but she doesn't because this time she clings to the hope, she needs the hope because its her son. Her baby boy, her one true love, her everything, her whole world and she needs this to be the one time things work out for the better.

Regina rectifies herself and fixes Mary Margaret's shirt. "And look at you all grown up, but now you have to go. You have to get your sleep and be prepared to capture that Prince Charming's heart."

"Oh, stop," Mary Margaret blushes as she hits the elevator call button. "Do you really think he'd be interested in me? I'm just a student teacher."

"He'd be a fool not to," Regina tells her and she glows. The elevator doors slide open and they embrace quickly, muffled good byes as the doors close taking Mary Margaret with her.

Regina sighs and turns back towards Henry's room when she hears the muffled sobs. She reaches out for the door handle trying to act as if she can just ignore someone's sobs, but she can't. She walks towards the sound and it leads her to the end of the hall where the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) is.  
>The one wall is all glass giving parents the ability to see their babies if they can't be with them at the moment.<p>

Ashley, she recognizes the girl almost immediately. She was the young teenage mother that had no family and the baby daddy was nowhere in sight. Regina walks over and stands beside her. Ashley stares blankly ahead into the NICU where her daughter is fighting for her life, having been born prematurely, only 25 weeks, barely viable.

Ashley's golden tresses are a mess around her shoulders, sticking to her face in places from her sobbing. Regina gently reaches over, gathers the girl's hair and does as she does with Henry when he's terribly upset. She tells her a fairytale.

"Once upon a time," Regina begins as she starts to braid Ashley's hair, tenderly, careful not to tug too hard in case she's tender headed or decides to reject the touch at any moment. "There was a girl who came to be known as Cinderella." And so Regina went on, telling her the whole ballad of Cinderella as she raided her hair to keep it from the young girl's face. (She was barely eighteen, still but a child dealing with far too much while being far too alone.) As Regina finished the braid she laid it on her back and placed a hand on her shoulders, unmoving just there. "And they live happily ever after." Regina removes her hand and returns to simply standing next to Ashley, the next move is hers.

Ashley sniffles, shaking as she dares a glance at Regina. "I was givingherup," she says her words blending together as a storm of tears parade down her cheeks. Regina wraps her arms instinctively around the girl, bringing her to her chest, cradling her and swaying slightly from side to side.

"What?" Regina asks, holding her close.

Ashley sniffles, "My baby, I was going to give her up and this happened. She doesn't even have a name yet because if you name something then you become attached to it and I don't deserve her, I did this to her," she cries and Regina is fervently shaking her head at this. "They were right, I can't be a mother, I can't-"

"Ashley, you listen to me," Regina says firmly cupping the girl's chin. "A wise woman once told me that the world's constantly go to try and tell you who you are but you have to punch back and say 'no, this is who I am'. You are an excellent mother, you haven't left this hospital since she was born, and I'm not saying it's going to be easy but if you want to raise your daughter, then you be her mother because you'll be a great one."

Ashley blinks her tear-stained eyes at Regina and wipes them. "I just want her to live."

Regina slides down the wall bringing Ashley with her and the two rest against the wall. She closes her eyes and holds Ashley's hand to her chest. "She's strong just like her mother, and she's a fighter. She's going to make it."

"How do you know?" Ashley whimpers.

"You just have to look at her, hear her heart beating," She responds as Ashley rests her head down on her shoulder.

"My Mom was never like this, even when she was around she was either strung out or hungover, never doing this motherly thing," she laughs, lifting her head and Regina swipes the tears off her cheeks, hugging her to her side.

"Well, that's her loss," Regina assures her and tucks a gold lock that had fallen loose from her braid behind her ear. "You're a beautiful brave young woman Ashley, inside and out."

A small smile lights up on the young girl's face and she tilts her head, eyes wide with wonder and doubt, and she has never looked as raw and truly vulnerable as she asks, "Do you really mean it?"

Regina nods, "I do." Ashley laughs and then they're both laughing and crying, talking about their children, their worries and they stay curled up on the floor against the wall. She doesn't know when but sometime, somehow, they both fall asleep there.

The high pitched shrill of a phone alarm pierces through Regina's mind and wakes her with a jolt. She moans, stretching out her limbs with another groan. Ashley yawns next to her, stretching her arms above her head as she blinks sleep out of her eyes.

"You ladies have a good sleep?" the nurse who preferred to be called "Granny" asked with a sly grin.

Regina was momentarily disoriented as to where she was rose to her feet, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "I'm so sorry Granny I guess we fell asleep, I hope we didn't cause too much of a problem."

Granny extends an arm to Ashley, helping the young mother to her feet. "Your no problem Madam Mayor," she assures her. "You poor things have so much to deal with we don't care where y'all sleep, so long as you do."

The mothers nod and Regina reaches out and squeezes Ashley hand in hers as parting words. "If you need anything, advice, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to rant to, a mother, you come find me."  
>Ashley nods and Regina smiles.<p>

Regina starts back towards Henry's room, she has to go to work today (that was her phone alarm that went off) and she wants to say goodbye to Henry first.

"So, Miss Ashley, have you decided on a name for your baby girl yet?" Granny asks as she leads Ashley into the NICU to see her daughter.

Regina stops and waits, because Ashley's answer will change her life. "Alexandra," Ashley tells her. "Alexandra Regina." She glances back and Ashley's blue eyes catch hers. Regina holds two thumbs up and Ashely grins. "I think I can be a mother."

"Oh, I ne'er doubted that, I always saw you as the motherly type," Granny retorts and Ashley perks up.

"Really?"

"Really."

Regina pushes open the door to Henry's room, but he's still asleep so she pads over and quickly kisses his cheek, whispering "I love you, Henry," into his ear. On her way out she catches the doctor and informs him to tell Henry she loves him and she had to go to the office today, but she will be back for dinner. Then she disappears into the elevator.

The bell rings and the door opens and she recognizes the blue eyes staring back at her. "Robin," she chuckles stepping out of the elevator. He holds a hospital coffee in his hand and a chocolate croissant in the other.

"I've been caught red-handed," he jokes taking a sip from the coffee. "Just for the books, I don't like this coffee but I have a slight addiction to the horrible liquid."

Regina laughs, "Surprised to see you up so early is all, coffee addictions aside."

"I could say the same of you," he counters. "You're the den mother of this whole place aren't you?"

"What?" she asks flabbergasted.

"I saw you with Ashley, sleeping in what appeared a rather uncomfortable position on the floor."

Regina blushes, raising her hands to cover it. "I'm no den mother, she just needed someone to be, well, a mother to her. She needed that support, someone to raid her hair back so it didn't stick to her face when she cried." She shrugs. "That doesn't make me a good person that just makes me human."

"Humble," Robin whispers as he walks by and replaces her spot in the now empty elevator. "You're also humble."

"Hardly," She adds and he just shakes his head because she is impossible.

"Where are you headed off to?"

"Well I can't live in the hospital 24/7, no matter if I wish I could or not, I have to work to pay for these hospital bills," She says with a sad sigh.

"Yea, I'm not here nearly as much as I should be," he shakes his head. "I take a personal week off whenever Roland has chemo, but I don't dare take more. Sheriff Swan says the Mayor might press her to fire me if I start taking more paid sick days an personal days than normal. I can't lose my job, not now, not when Christmas is just around the corner and my son's in the hospital."

"You work for the mayor?" Regina asks swallowing. "I think the mayor would understand your position Robin, if you just told her."

"Her?" Robin chuckles. "Hopefully it's not to terrible of a mark against my character if I say I just assumed the mayor was a man."

Regina smirks, "I suppose I can let it pass just this once."

"Phew," He brushes nonexistent sweat off his brow and they both chuckle.

"But seriously, the Mayor will be in her office today it's Wednesday and she's always in for mid-week reports, if you can that is, I think she might be able to work something out for you."

"Do you work for the mayor?" Robin asks naively and she laughs to herself.

"Something like that," Regina nods and then the elevator doors start to close and their goodbyes are cut short.

[A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know by reviewing and/or favoriting/following!]


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry this took so long guys and sorry if it sucks (i'm working on finding a beta) and I am a terrible critic of my own writing so I deleted and restarted this chapter a million times it was awful I swear. **

Papers flew off of desks in flurries as Regina hurried by on her way to the mayor's office. She stopped short on her heels at the half moon shaped desk where Belle, the secretary by day/billiards player by night sat reading some classic novel. Her auburn locks piled high on top of her head in some form of bun or another.

"Belle," Regina says leaning forward and resting the edge of her elbows on the wooden desk. "Page Sheriff Swan to my office, now, please."

"Yes, Madam Mayor," Belle tosses her book aside and straightens herself in the boss's presence. "What do you...what do you want me to tell her you need her for?" Belle pipes up as Regina tries to walk past her. She is in a bit of hurry- she wasn't lying when she told Robin she had mid-week reports to do, and if he plans on stopping in she wants to have a decent workload out of the way first.

"I'm the mayor," she reports with a satirical laugh. "Tell her job security." Belle bobs her head, a perfectly manicured hand curling around the phone on her desk as her other starts to tap away at the numbers.

Regina rounds the corner, drawing out her keys from her small coat pockets and flipping a few aside before grasping the right one. She plugs it into the keyhole and twists once, twice, three times and the door swings open. Black lettering on the glass window announcing that this is, in fact, the Mayor's office, as she pushes in, using her ankle to kick the door closed behind her; not bothering to remove her key from the door. She sighs at the mountains of paperwork resting on her desk, glowering evilly, because she had been putting it off and putting it off and now the day when procrastination caught up to her was here. She plops down on her black cushy chair (the only plus to hours of tedious paper work was the saving grace this chair brought her back) and picks up the file on top of her stack.

Regina opens the manila folder and pouts her lips together, fingers trailing over the photograph paper clipped to the stack of paper. It was of her, crouching before Roland at the hospital, a smile plastered on both of their faces. This was Sidney's doing, Regina's skin itches at the thought of him always watching, always there even when he's not. She's truly terrified of the man, not that she would ever let him know that, but he's a powerful asset when he's not putting his powers to use. Attached to the photo is a photo release form that she needs to sign and to answer her question of why she should is answered with the two pages behind that. An already typed up article about the Mayor visiting the local children's hospital (she was not open with the fact that she now lived out of the said hospital, not even everyone at the hospital knew who she was unless they read the newspaper or were heavy into politics; she couldn't have the people fearing their mayor was not properly doing her job because she was living in a hospital) and filled of praise-worthy compliments about how lucky the townspeople were to have such a philanthropic, charitable and down-to-earth mayor that would spend time at the children's hospital during the busiest time of year.

She scowls and throws it aside, not caring as it scatters on the ground. Glass knows the real reason she's at the hospital and yet he still forges on and tries to turn it into some propaganda. Her son dying and her meeting a nice man with a nice son will not be used as advertisement, heavens knows if she didn't have to she'd be the furthest thing from a hospital not visiting. Hospitals are bad news in her book.

There's a knock on the door that steals Regina's attention and she yells for whoever to come in. Sheriff Swan graces her sights, a 'be-gentle-please' smile plastered on her face as she walks in unsure. Her long blond hair trailing down her back nearly to her waist where her belt of weapons and such are holstered.

"Miss Swan I was beginning to wonder if you were going to wait until I died to show up," She hissed annoyed rising to her feet and she can almost see the blonde woman start to say something back, but she decides otherwise. Regina flattens her palms against her gray skirt and exhales. "I'm sorry, it's just Glass has me on edge already and-" she shakes her head furious with herself, fighting to suppress the tears that burn her eyes. "And nothing."

"Why- um.. Why do you keep him around then, Madam Mayor?" Swan asks bouncing on the balls of her feet, still unsure of why she's been summoned.

"Because you don't just sacrifice your King because it annoys you," she explains. "And he's…ya know.. I don't know what he'd to me or others if I pissed him off. He scares me."

"Well the police force stands with you Madam Mayor, whatever you decide," Emma assures her. "Is that all you wanted me for?"

"No," she clears her throat, wipes away at the tears that had been threatening to spill over and smiles. "Your Deputy, he's been out a lot, yeah?"

Emma's face drops and she starts to stammer of excuses immediately. "He's a really important part of the team, and he's been taking personal days not sick days so he is being docked for the days he misses. He has a lot going on in his personal life and-"

"Miss Swan I don't care about your deputy's personal life," Regina snaps and she silences. "I care about how he does his job. Now tell me, is this, Locksley a good worker?"

Emma nods and lists off a whole list of reasons why he is a great, best-worker-you-ever-hired worker and Regina almost wishes she were paying attention, but she's not. She doesn't care what Sheriff Swan has to say about Robin her mind as mayor is made up and she's just torturing Emma because, well, a mayor has to fun every now and then.

Emma goes on blabbering and blabbering about how great of a deputy Robin is, and it warms her in a way it shouldn't hearing all these nice things said about Robin. (They're just friends after, emjust/em friends! because they both have dying children and parents of dying children only seek friendship in one another, so it simply cannot be warming her heart for any other reason because they are friends and only that.)

"That's enough, Miss Swan," Regina cuts her off when she worries Robin might be showing up soon and her bold streak she had before about wanting to be here and introduce herself to him has long since disappeared. (What if he thinks she's doing this out of charity? What if he thinks she was lying to him for some manipulative reason? Why should she care they're just friends!) She knows they're not just friends, not to her at least, but they're also not quite something else either. Just there, barely knowing each other yet knowing enough, feeling as if they've always known one another. She shakes her head.

"But Madam Mayor-"

"I want to give Mr. Locksley a pardon, he can take as many personal days as he wants, with pay also," She adds and an eyebrow shoots up on Emma's face.

"I would love to do that Madam Mayor but our budget, we don't have enough for how much he's-"

"You'll have enough." Regina states sharply and then smiles, brushes her hair back and forces a smile across her lips. "You will have enough." She motions toward the door because she really does have a load of paperwork that isn't about to do itself and she can't do it with Emma staring at her dumbfoundededly. Emma starts toward the door, a daze settling around her, and she stops,hand holding the door halfway and faces Regina (who is adamantly ignoring her and working on her paperwork).

"Thank you," Regina looks up at this. It was not that her and the sheriff did not get along, they certainly were not friends, but they were not enemies either, and this was a surprise. "Thank you Madam Mayor, I know we're not- we're just co-workers, but Robin, he's my friend, he's my partner and he's a good man. Thank you for doing this. I'm not sure why or what prompted you and I don't care, but thank you."

Regina watches as Emma ducks out into the hallway before sighing and shaking her head. "Sheriff Swan," she calls out and Emma ducks her head back in.

"Yes?"

"It's Regina," she informs her and Emma smiles.

"Well, thanks, Regina," Regina nods and Emma leaves and she does not stop her.

Regina knew he would come. After all she had all but insisted he visit the mayor, so she's not surprised when she hears a clamboring in the hallway. "I need to speak with the mayor," Regina stiffens, her pen falling from her grasp at the sound of his voice and it should send shivers down her spine and intoxicate her as much as it does, because they are just friends. (She knows they are more than that but what else do you call two single parent with dying children who mutually live in a hospital?)

"Robin, I got this," Emma chimes in. "Deputy Locksley the mayor has granted you a pardon. You're on paid leave for as long as you need, you can be with your son."

"What?" Robin's voice shakes, she can hear the strain of holding back tears in it as he swallows back his emotions. "The mayor- she did what?"

"I know, I couldn't believe it either but she called me into her office this morning and-" Emma shrugs.

"I have to thank her, where is Mayor Mills, is she in her-" Robin freezes. She hears the heavy padding of his feet clamboring down her marble floors and she has her back to them. Her eyes fixated on the clock tower, which she has a perfect view of from her office window, in this busy city, her office building faces the quieter, quainter side of town. Reminds her of her home, before everything turned to ash and was gone with the wind.

The door flies open and Emma and Robin stummble in. "Madam Mayor I just wanted to say-" Regina spins around in her chair to face them (it would have been rude not to) and his face falls flat. His mouth hanging in an 'o' as he stares rather befuddled at her. "Regina?"

"You have quite the track record, Deputy Locksley, and when Sheriff Swan, _should _Sheriff Swan ever slip up I know exactly who to replace her with, it was quite an easy decision once Swan gave me her good word," Regina explains, standing on her feet and not breaking from her mayor mold all the while.

"But you brough-"

"You can leave now, Miss Swan, anything the Deputy has to say to me is between myself and Mr. Locksley," Regina snaps at the blonde before she can finish and Emma nods; eyeing the pair one last time in confusion before exiting, closing the door behind her.

"Robin- I know-" Regina does not get the chance to finish her sentence. His fingers are in her hair, his mouth crushing down on hers, as her back slams against the cool glass of her office window. She stares in shock, hands frozen where they were in the air before she gathers her bearings and melts into the kiss. Wrapping her hands tenderly around his neck, over his biceps, to the planes of his chest. They part, gasping for breath, a chuckle resonating from her chest as she bumps her nose against his and raises her chin to look him in the eyes.

"That was very unprofessional of you, Deputy, I might have to give you a mark," she teases, her nose scrunching up slightly and it causes a heat to stir low in Robin's groin.

"Apologies, _mayor,"_ Robin reciprocates the teasing atmosphere and she drops her hands, backing away from his touch, walking back towards her seat. "All this time," he says shaking his head and she glances over her shoulder at him.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," Robin shakes his head running a hand through his hair. "I had this planned out differently is all."

Regina stiffens and spins around to face him, plopping back on her desk, something she would never normally do but it has become fairly obvious this is no normal work visit. "Planned what out differently?"

"Kissing you for the first time," He does not take to secrets, open and honest about everything and anything she might pry him for. "I wanted to ask you to a date first, in my head it was always a coffee date which is why it is funny we met-"

"Over coffee," Regina nods her head, following along. She crosses her arms in front of her chest, a wry smile on her lips. "That day when we first spoke, that wasn't the first time you had seen me was it."

Robin shakes his head almost instantly his words following after. "Heavens no. It was the first time I had an excuse to come speak to someone as stunning as you. You aren't so daunting when you cry, darling."

"Ouch," Regina laughs.

"I had been meaning to introduce myself to you for sometime but what was I to say? Kid dying? Kid dying. I mean-?"

"Good point." She smiles, watching as the rays of light catch his eyes in just the right way, dancing across his irises and making them seem to glow. "So that- wasn't just a-"

"One time thing?" Robin asks, stepping forward from where he was perched against the window. "I hope not, but milady that is entirely up to you."

Regina smirks and hops off her desk, returning to her paperwork nonchalantly. "You should probably leave, Mr. Locksley, before people start to suspect something." Robin chuckles and walks by her and as he starts to leave she adds, "Are you going back to the hospital?"

"It is where I find myself heading today, yea," she fights to roll her eyes at his response and continues on.

"Will you make sure the nurses remember that I promised Henry he could have a brownie today with his lunch," She asks.

"Of course," He bows his head, opening the door and saying, "See you around, Madame Mayor."

"Locksley." She nods and as the door closes shut behind him she can't help but grin stupidly down at the paperwork on her desk, a faint laugh escaping her chest.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update I'm working on 3 fics right now and the screenplay for Letters from War, but I got it updated and my writer's block seems to be gone yay! Shoutout to my lovely lovely beta feistyvagabond! I love her so much guys! She is a blessing! Review to let me know what you think! I love hearing your guys opinions and theories! Also this chapter is a huge improvement (imo) from the last chapter enjoy! **

Regina reaches the hospital just in time to run in with her step-daughter on her way out. "Regina!" The woman exclaims a flush look of relief on her face. She embraces her quickly and then a look of discomfort washes over her features. "Um..there was a man…"

"What? You're mumbling dear," Regina asks, squaring her step-daughter's shoulders with her hands.

"There was a," her cheeks blush flaming red as she whispers. "A man. He came by Henry's room, the boy didn't seem to know who he was but he said you had sent him-"

"Oh, Robin," Regina nods her head and Mary Margaret releases a breath she had not noticed herself holding. "Yes, I sent him to make sure Henry got his promised brownie."

"Well, he seemed to have taken kindly to Henry, the pair chatted for quite some time before I was allowed back into the room, Henry had a confident smirk on his face as if he knew something and after that I had lost the boy to the giggles. But we had a good day overall and-"

"Enough of my son and personal life, let's talk about yours," Regina says arching a brow scantily. "Did anything happen with that professor, the charming one?" She asks dancing forward and her step-daughter hides her face behind her hands, pushing past her.

"I really must be going," she manages with a laugh and ducking into the now open (and empty) elevator.

Regina lunges for her playfully and let's her go, shouting a last reminder that, "You can run, but you can't hide! I will get the details from you if it is the last thing I do!" Before the elevator doors close and she disappears from sight.

The tired and overworked mother pads into her son's room then, smiling at the sight of his tiny form curled up beneath the covers and a book plopped on his chest. He's asleep, but lightly, and she shakes his shoulders slightly to stir him from his slumber. He startles and she shushes him, placing a comforting kiss on his forehead.

"Shh, baby, it's just me," she promises and he relaxes blinking his eyes open and smiling that super magic smile up at her.

"Hey, Mom," he greets.

"Hay is for horses," Regina whispers matter of factly, booping her son's nose and he laughs. She will never tire of that sight, of that sound, the way his dark eyes crinkle at the seams when his face erupts into that full lips smile and she can just feel the happiness, the joy radiating off of his skin.

"Mom, why didn't you introduce me to Mr. Robin?" He asks then startling her.

Regina freezes and simply states, "Why would I?"

"He's your friend isn't he?" She nods. "Well, I introduce you to _my _friends."

"My apologies, little prince, next time I will make sure to introduce you to my friends but for now I think you should get some more much needed rest that I interrupted you from," She promises patting the blankets down around him, tucking him in. "I love you."

"I love you, too, goodnight."

"Night," she stands and walks over to leave and flick off the lights when he speaks again.

"And Mom?"

"Yes?"

"You're never an interruption," she beams at this and he rolls over onto his side to get more comfortable. "Also there's something for you in the supply closet."

She turns off the lights. Something for _her _in the supply closet? Strange, but she would not put it past one of these soft hearted nurses to hide something her son made her in there if he so requested it. She glances down the hallway, mostly deserted by staff and family alike due to the late hours of the night, and swings open the door hurrying in, undetected. She gasps.

Candles are lit and dispersed throughout, resting on shelves, between supply containers, along any open surface, and two beautiful white candles lit on the tiny makeshift table set up in the middle of the closet. Rose petals are scattered in a circle around the table which has a white linen cloth thrown over it and set for two. Robin stands behind it all, biting self consciously at his lower lip, head ducked, and meets her eyes bashfully.

"Robin," her voice cracks and she can't finish what she was going to say because brings her hands up to her face and shakes her head, tears in her eyes. He had done this _for her? _No one had ever done something like this for her except Daniel, but even then- she smiles. "What- what is this?"

Robin has found his courage by now and walks around and pulls her chair out from the table, bowing slightly. "Milady," he says curtly and she giggles. (Really and truly _giggles_.) She starts to sit and then rises, hooks her hands around his neck and presses her lips to his quickly, pulling away and dropping her hands, running her fingers over her lips as she takes her seat.

"You did all this? Do the nurses know?" She asks humorously and he chuckles.

"Do the nurses know, turns out the nurses had a betting pool on you and me getting together-"

"No!" Regina gasps playfully and he nods his head. "Where do they find these nurses, pushovers _and _gossips, tsk tsk."

"Actually, the nurses helped me a lot, as did Henry," he gauges her reaction then and she tilts her head, stares at him and he's stumped for the first time at what she might be thinking. "You see when I came to visit him today, I had a talk, man-to-man as I told him-"

"I'm sure that fluffed his ego," Regina teases.

"And told him that I had grown to be good friends with his mum and wanted to know if I had his permission to take her on a date," Regina snorts at this, struggling to cover her mouth, whispering, _I'm sorry, I'm sorry go on. _He rolls his bottom lip between his teeth and continues. "He agreed, on one condition. The date was here and he had a hand in making sure it was absolutely perfect and fine tuned to what he was sure his mother liked best."

"Oh did he now?" She raises a brow and he nods solemnly.

"Oh yes, Henry made all the artwork to set the properly ambiance," Robin nodded animatedly and she looked up at the walls where drawings of superheroes were hung. "I think it's rather platonic which is what he was going for he made it very clear there was to be no kissing and I was planning on being a perfect gentleman until you broke that rule."

"Oh were you now? I suppose I won't kiss you anymore in the name of your honor, then," Regina teases back and he glances at her, eyes taking her in. She is a sight for sore eyes, though she would beg to differ. Her hair is russed from a hectic day at the mayor's office and disheveled around her shoulders, starting to curl, and she had not bothered changing before stopping at the hospital so she wears a black now wrinkled skirt and matching black blazer with a white buttoned down blouse, her dark eyes milking him in and her smile making her whole being glow.

"I suppose what the lad doesn't know won't hurt him," He says changing his stance on the matter and she let's out another angelic laugh, not adding anything but pursing her lips knowingly. "Now to the dinner, Henry assured me you would love it," Robin tells her as he stands and retrieves two to-go boxes. Her mouth falls open.

"Are those- is that from- no," She gasps.

"I guess we both knew you wouldn't be here until it was more desert time, so," He plops the boxes down before her and she hungrily throws open the lid. Sure enough the familiar smell of apple turnover's floods her nose and she wafts the air towards her. Smells like home, she thinks.

"But these are only in-"

"Turnberry?" Robin finishes for her. "Don't I know it, but Henry insisted and you've been living in a hospital I hardly doubt you would allow yourself to be more than five minutes from the hospital let alone a full hour."

"Thank you," Regina manages, and it is so genuine and her eyes are watery as she stares down at the perfect apple turnover resting before her. "Robin," she raises her eyes to meet his leaning across the small table and pressing her lips gently to his, kissing him softly, gratefully.

"You more than deserve it, Regina, between being an extraordinary mother to Henry and running a town, it's like you're some sort of sorceress," Robin compliments and she chuckles, resting her forehead against his. "I have a bottle of wine stored back here as well, which if you should be so inclined, I could go fetch otherwise I see no reason in moving."

And that does it she's cracking up again and shoving him back. He gets up to fetch the wine and she joins him bringing the to-go boxes and opting to sit on the floor against the back wall (after blowing out all the candles, how was that not a fire hazard Regina will never know) and they joke, ask the deeper more personal questions with the courage of the wine.

"So," Regina starts trailing her fingers up Robin's chest, sipping on her third glass of wine, a little past buzzed but not fully drunk yet (nor did she plan to let herself reach that point). "What made you decide to be a cop?"

Robin chuckles, taking her fingers in his hand and holding them over his heart for a moment before raising them to his lips and pressing light kisses to her fingertips. "Well, my best friend, Little John," he sighs and drops their entangled fingers to his side, running his other hand through his hair. "He was murdered when I was twenty, we had been in America only a couple of years for university and-" he shakes his head. "Dead on site, after a bar shooting broke out. John was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he was there waiting for _me_."

"Oh, Robin, I'm so sorry," Regina takes control of their intertwined fingers, giving his hand a consoling squeeze, but he simply shakes his head. John died years ago and he does not need to be looked at with pity, especially not from the woman he is trying to woo, so he tugs her closer and presses a reassuring kiss to her temple, his favorite spot, she's gathered.

"No, but I joined the police academy the next day because the current police did not care about catching the drunkards who killed my friend, they never did capture that Will, Will _Scarlet." _His jaw tenses as he finishes saying the name and Regina thinks she would not want to be Will Scarlet and have a run in with this deputy.

"Well, I think you've made John proud," She reaffirms her words with a sharp nod of her head and he smiles half-heartedly at her, taking a strand of her dark locks and wrapping it around his finger before pushing it back behind her ear, and straightening up. She recognizes the smirk forming on his face before it even fully blooms.

"Now, I do believe it's my turn to ask a question, yea?" She will never tire of hearing this man speak she thinks, that accent does things to her, things she did not know something as simple as a voice could do to her. Regina nods her head. "Do you believe in aliens?" Her heart drops, he's crazy, that's the catch, there's always a catch with the good ones and this, _aliens_ is his.

"Um..no, d-do you?" She asks pulling back from him and he bursts into laughter, erupts with it, shaking his head and she sighs with relief.

"No! What do I look like a less rich Tom Cruise?" He arches an eyebrow and she purses her lips smirking. "I did however enjoy the look of terror on your face when I asked you that though, aliens, so aliens are your deal breaker. Interesting."

"Well is it not a deal breaker for you? I mean come on, aliens?" They both laugh and agree that yes, aliens are a deal breaker for them.

"What are you better at than 90% of the population?" Robin asks as Regina nurses her nearly finished wine glass and a light ignites in her eyes. She leans forward, her lips tickling his flesh as she tells him in her most seductive voice. _Sex._ Regina watches as Robin holds back a snicker (rather pleased with herself for successfully catching _him _off guard for a change) and turns, meets his lips again for a quick passionate kiss. "I think the mayor should let her hair down more often" he murmurs against her lips and she grins.

"She can't," and with that Regina leans back against the wall, propping herself up against the handsome man beside her and letting her eyelids flutter shut.

"Can she still answer questions?" Robin whispers into her ear, leaning down to where she rests on his shoulder.

A small smile spreads on her face as she responds, "She can."

"What's a family tradition your family has?"

"Hmm...we used to get turnovers at the bakery in Turnberry every Saturday for breakfast, the owner was friends with my father who used to take me, every single Saturday," she says fondly recalling the way her father would take her into his arms so that she could see all the delicacies on display in the glass case, until eventually she knew where they were and what they were by heart and did not need to be lifted.

"That sounds lovely," Robin thinks mentally noting to bring turnovers when Saturday rolls around.

"Did you have any?" She asks opening her eyes and he pats her cheek lovingly, laying her head back down on his shoulder and she sighs content.

"Not anything from your average Brit," he shrugs it off. "What do you feel people take for granted the most?"

Regina thinks about this one for a while, rolling around in her head all the different things she knows she's taken for granted. Her job, her freedom, her son, Daniel, her family, her house (empty as it may currently be), and it is then she comes up with her answer.

"People," she says. "I think people take other people for granted."

"Really?" He asks, pondering her answer and she squeezes his hand, leaning more into him and relaxing.

"Really."

There was a crick in her neck, that's what Regina noticed first as she slowly came to. The screaming nurses, hands shaking her shoulders, and sounds of angry pagers would all come later, but for now all she could focus on was that there was a crick in the side of her neck from sleeping with her head on Robin's shoulder. She blinked and suddenly everything hit her (including the dull throbbing in her head from a little too much wine). _Henry_. The first thought that races through her memory, flashes before her eyes and she's on her feet.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Henry? Oh my go-"

"No, it's Roland!" Robin moans in protest at this, now waking as the relentless shakes of the nurse's arms pull him from his slumber.

"Robin!" Regina yells frantically, smacking his chest too hard to be playful and he opens his eyes, locks his on hers. "Something's happened to Roland."

"Wha-" before he can finish the hospital intercom interrupts. _Code blue in pediatrics. _Robin surges forward throwing open the supply closet door, Regina at his flank and they watch, paralyzed as a cot is raced down the hallway past them. A doctor straddles a small form, her hands pumping furiously against the child's bare chest, as another doctor squeezes the yellow balloon pump forcing air into the child's lungs as other surgeons and nurses help push the cot faster and faster towards the operating room.

Regina feels her heart drop because the moments may have been brief but she recognized the mop of dark curls pooling around the seemingly lifeless body of the child on the cot. She could just see where there had once been dimples indenting his cheeks and the way his lips had curled up and his pearly whites had shined as he told his father that Regina was a pretty lady. Her gut wrenches, that lifeless form had once danced around with all the energy in the world, building towers with foam blocks and she gasps for air. Robin turns and barges through the doors to the pediatric floor, disappearing to the tune of the madly flapping doors, and Regina catches herself against the doorframe, her back sliding against the frame until she hits the floor. _Please God, _she whispers fighting the tears that threaten to pour out. _Please don't take that little boy. _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I know you were all so worried about little Roland so I wrote and wrote so I could get you all this chapter but now it might be a while before this is updated because Click! and Epidemic are both overdue for updates! So enjoy! Thanks to feistyvagabond again for being the best beta! Her little comments and corrections make writing so much easier! Also loving my new nickname of twisted psycho! :P Def an upgrade from Cora! Enjoy this chapter guys!**

Regina paces back and forth in the children's waiting room, her heart pounding against her sternum, relentlessly and she's sure it will rip right through her. Her head cloudy with the mayhem of it all, sweat and tears coating her skin, the smell of sterilization making her nauseous as she worries, worries and worries. It's all her mind can think to do right now. She should have gone after Robin when he stormed out, she should have followed him out, should have been there but she did not want Roland to be alone. The child was dying he needed someone waiting for him, rooting for him and not that Robin wasn't but- she just needed to be _here _in the waiting room. Taking updates from the scrub nurses and praying to God, Allah, the universe, whoever would listen, that they would not take this sweet boy from the earth. Not now, not yet. She should have gone after Robin.

Regina forces herself to calm down, sit down. She's the only one in the waiting room of the pediatrics ward, apparently the only one with someone she knows in surgery. She curls up on the couch, pulling her jacket as far around her as she can to try and stay warm, and rests her head against the arm. _Come on, Roland, _she whispers. _Come on. _The sound of the doors drawing open as Regina lifting her head and she sees him. Robin. His eyes are red, his hair a mess, and he looks awful, the torture and anguish he's feeling inside forcing its way outwards.

"Robin," Regina whispers sitting up on the couch and before she can stop herself she's apologizing, shaking as tears topple over onto her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, I should have followed you-, you shouldn't have been alone, I'm so sorry, Robin- I didn't want Roland to be alone, I just didn't want him to be alone, I'm so sorry-"

"Regina," and it's the first thing he's said to her today. Robin crashes onto the couch beside her, pulling her shaking, sobbing form into his arms and cradling her head against his chest as the apologies and regrets pour from her lips. "Oh, Regina," he says soothingly, tears in his own eyes but he will not let them fall. "Thank you Regina, for being here for my son when I couldn't. Please stop apologizing, it's okay, you're okay, you're okay, you're okay," he finds himself repeating those two words until they lose meaning and numb his lips, because it's true. She's okay, and he can hold onto that as the rest of the world crashes down around them, he can take shelter with her because she's okay. He's okay. They're okay. Okay.

Regina sniffles, closing her eyes and focusing on the rise and fall of Robin's chest against her cheek, listening to the steady thud of his heart, and letting the comforting smell of pine envelope her. "I get it now," she says breaking the silence that had fallen over them. _Hmm?_ he hums. "I get why- how Marian could run." She says and he tenses at the mere mention of her. "When you first told me I couldn't fathom running from Henry, I couldn't imagine a mother running from her dying baby, but now, after this, I understand. I understand because my first thought seeing Roland on the cot with the nurse and-" she shakes her head. "My first thought was to run, run far away to a place where this wasn't my life."

Robin nods his head, taking her hand in his and running his thumb over her knuckles before whispers, pleadingly, "Please," his voice shakes."Please don't run."

She tips her chin up, her eyes taking in the curve of his jaw and the the desperation in his blue eyes and she does not waver as she promises, "I won't." Robin smiles, a small, barely lifted corners grin, and she reciprocates.

She dreads being trapped under the heavy weight of silence once more so she opens her mouth and starts to speak, telling him everything, anything, about her, about her life, her past loves, watching everyone she's ever loved die. "Daniel died hours after holding Henry for the first and last time," she tells him. "I didn't know how or if I could handle being a mother. All I knew was that the man I loved had just died and I couldn't possibly go on, my mother had died of a heart attack a few years prior and when I was younger my father had been shot and died. I had no one and now I had this- this _infant _that needed me or he would die. I didn't think I could do it."

"How- how'd you do it?" Robin asks leaning into her, thankful for the distraction.

"They placed him in my arms, made me hold him, and it was like magic. As soon as he hit my hands, I could feel him squirming around in my arms, he blinked his eyes and stared up at me with fuzzy blue clouds in his dark eyes and I just knew. He was _mine_ and I would die for him, he was mine to protect, and I loved him so fiercely, I loved him more than I knew I could love anything."

"With Roland, we only had one year with him before we were being told our time with him was numbered," Robin shakes his head. "Marian loved him, I know she loved him, and I think she loved me but it wasn't enough. Marian didn't want kids, she wanted to travel the world, she was a part of a band and she went out drinking- _we _went out drinking every weekend. We were wild and impulsive, she had tattoos, some I'm sure she regretted, but she was the one who introduced me to pot-" Regina snickers at this and he looks amused.

"You've done pot, I must say I expected more from you, Deputy Locksley," she jabs and he smirks.

"I was a wild and free before John," Robin confesses and he pushes up his shirt sleeve, revealing a tattoo on his forearm. It was a black crest of a lion, not exactly what she would have pinned as a tattoo he would get but it was strangely hot and she curled her toes beneath her. Her fingers outstretched, tracing the contours of it, and dancing along the edges.

"It's gorgeous," she compliments.

"Thanks, Will and John encouraged me to get one and then once Marian was in the picture, it was a done deal." He shrugs it off.

"Will?" She asks in confusion. "Didn't he-"

"Murder John? Ay, that he did, but things are far more complicated than I let on. Will was drunk that night at the bar, sloshed past sanity," Robin shakes his head and runs his fingers over the bridge of his nose. "Will hadn't meant to shoot John, he shouldn't have had a gun, but he did and somehow he ended up accidentally firing it will trying to flirt with a girl. Some chick wanted to see it and he was showing her it and one wrong pull-"

"I'm so sorry, Robin, I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you, to lose your best friend at the hands of another friend," Regina cannot fathom the circumstance, then again Regina was not exactly an expert in friends. She never really had any, except Katherine but then everything had gone to hell with that friendship when she separated from Leopold.

"I don't know what happened to him, he didn't go to jail for murder, I know that," Robin's lip twitches at the memory and she nudges his cheek with her nose. "Marian never forgave me for that, one of the main things that broke up our marriage. She forgave Will, but I never could, whether of right mind or not he murdered my best friend."

"Robin-" she begins but the glance he gives her daring her to agree with his long gone wife has her eating her words and she just smiles and looks away.

A nurse appeared then and both of them rose to their feet. "I'm sorry," she says, and Robin falters against Regina. The nurse quickly realizes her faux pax and adds, "No, i don't- um, that came out wrong, I meant I'm not from your son's surgery Mr. Locksley. So I don't know if he's, I mean he could be but- oh, no that's not- um.."

"What do you need?" Regina bites sharply.

"Henry," she says and Regina nods her head. "He wants to see you before his sister arrives for his lessons."

She looks back at Robin not wanting to leave him but he nods his head at her and gives her a grin."Go, your son needs you, I'm fine, go."

"Are you sure?" She asks, placing a hand on his cheek and running her thumb over the edge of his brow. "Henry's a big boy, he'll understand-" He cuts her off with a parting kiss and pulls away, clasping her hand and dropping it between them.

"No, but at the end of the day our children come first and your son needs you, waiting here with me, there's nothing either one of us can do for my boy, but you _can _go comfort yours, so go. Please," she complies and drops his hand, turning and following the nurse out. Robin watches her leave, and holds it together until the ward doors have closed behind her before collapsing back onto the couch, covering his face with his hands to hide his sobs.

Henry is sitting up in bed, chatting happily with the nurse who's come to check his vitals as they do every day before every meal, before he goes to bed, and at 6am when he's generally able to sleep through it. His dark hair a mess and it looks like he has yet to comb it today, she makes a mental note to remind him to do that first thing when he wakes up after brushing his teeth. She knocks on the door frame and his eyes (copies of hers) find her standing the doorway, a wide smile spreads on his face.

"Mom!" He beams as she walks in, placing her arms around him and giving him a gentle squeeze.

"Good morning, little prince," She greets plopping a kiss in his hair and smiling back at her son.

"Soooo…" Henry says making eyes at his mother and she sighs, rolling her eyes.

"How could you do that to me?" She asks teasingly. "You set me up! I walked into a whole beautiful thing-" flashbacks of the previous night, before Roland's heart had decided to stop beating, to before when both of their children were alive and happy, and they could enjoy being in each other's presence and just talk like normal adults do; like normal _people _do. Henry is not satisfied with her answer so she continues, making herself comfortable on the bed beside him, tucking her crossed legs against the curve of his small knees and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"It was lovely, Henry," She assured him, and the smile on her face was proof enough for him. "I'm glad you were able to meet Robin. He's- he's a pretty stand-up guy."

"He's funny, too," Henry laughs.

Regina chuckles, nodding her head, "Yea, he's funny, too."

"Did you like my pictures?" Her son inquired curiously, peeking up at her and she nods over exaggeratedly.

"I _loved_ your pictures they set the perfect mood, it was lovely, and you know what was even more lovely than the artwork?" She questions him and his eyes grow wide.

"What?"

She smirks and pulls a white cardboard box from behind her box, "The turnovers." She opened the lid and revealed a tiny portion she had saved for her son. "I saved you some for being the best son a mother could ever ask for."

"Really? I can have it?" Henry asks excitedly hands hurrying to grab the delectable treat displayed before him.

"Yes, you can, you've more than earned it," She hands him a fork and he eats at it hungrily like it's the first time he's eaten in weeks but right now she's too thankful that her son is okay (as okay as he can be in his condition) and breathing before her.

She twirls her fingers in his hair, content watching him finish the turnover and lick the crumbs off his fingers (something she normally would have scolded him for). "So," she starts to breach the subject that she's been beating around for a while. Best to tackle the elephant in the room head on, right? "What do you think of Robin?"

"As a friend?" Henry asks innocently.

"Uh, as a really good friend. He's a special friend to me and I want to know what you think of him," she confesses. (Honesty is the best policy...to an extent.)

"Can I get back to you on that?" Henry says pursing his lips together and tapping a finger against them and she laughs. _Yes._ He's quiet for a moment and then he snuggles closer to the safety his mother brings. "Mom," his voice is quiet, reminds her how young her son truly is despite how old he may act sometimes. "Am I- there was a kid this morning who was dead, the doctors ran by here and they were trying to bring him back and-" he shakes at the memory of it and Regina pulls her son on top of her, wrapping her arms more securely around him, as tears start to fall down his face. "Is that how I'm going to- is that how I'm going to die?"

"No, oh baby," Regina wipes at his eyes, blinking away her own tears. "You're not going to die, these doctors are going to find you another heart and you are going to live to be old and gray and wrinkly."

"But what if they don't? You said my dad died because his heart broke, why didn't they find _him _a heart, Mommy? How do you know they're going to find me a heart? What am I going to do when I die? Where will I go? Who's going to take care of me? I won't have you anymore, Mommy, I don't want to lose you!" Henry buries his face in her chest and she's crying now, trying to see if there's anyway to hold her son tighter without completely crushing him to her chest.

"Oh, baby," she murmurs over and over again, unable to find anything else to say. "Henry, your father was older, he had a lot of people before him waiting for a heart and he was in a lot worse condition. They are going to _find _you a heart, you are not leaving me." The anxiety is still clear on his features and she sighs, there's never a good time to have to prepare your child for what it's like to die, and what might happen when they die, but she knew she also can not have him worrying and stressing over this. She wants him to be happy, and with this anxiety he can not truly be.

"Do you want to talk about it? About dying?" She asks, only going to tell him if he's comfortable with it. Henry nods his head. "You're right, Mommy's not going to be there, I may not be there for a long while, but when we die we go to a magical place called heaven. There's only happiness there, no more pain or tears. And you won't be alone."

"I won't?" Henry sniffles.

"No, because if you die and that's a major _if_ then your father, Daniel, will be up there waiting for you and it'll be your turn to play with and have fun with Daddy, okay? And you can tell him all about our life, about me, about Mary Margaret, and Daddy can teach you how to play catch better than Mommy, can."

"Do you think he will?" Henry pipes up curiously.

"I know he will, and he will protect you and keep you safe, and then one day in the future, maybe a long way away maybe not, I will show up at your big house in heaven and you'll have me again and then we can talk about everything I've missed and I can tell you everything that happened in my life. And you know who else is going to be there?"

"Who?"

"Grandma and Grandpa!" Regina replies and Henry's eyes grow wide.

"Really?" He asks and she nods. "I'll have a grandma and a grandpa and a dad in heaven! That place doesn't sound so bad," he smiles and then squeezes his arms around his mother. "But I think I'll want to stay with my mommy for as long as I can."

"Daddy and Grandpa and Grandma will be there forever, they can wait, you stay strong, and you fight with your strong little ticker, and you will stay with me for as long as I'm alive," She assures him and he leans up kisses her cheek. "Do you feel better now?"

"I'm not scared anymore," He reports as if just now realizing it himself. "I love you, Mommy." He says closing his eyes and relaxing in the curve of her arms.

"Hey, don't go to sleep Mary Margaret is going to be here soon and then Dr. Hopper is coming bye today," She says tickling her son and the sound of his happy, carefree laughter is the most intoxicating sound for her.

Mary Margaret does arrive and Regina excuses herself, wanting to go check up on Robin, and Henry enjoys his special alone time with his sister during their lessons. She starts to head directly to the waiting room but then she smiles and turns, heading for the cafeteria. She snags two cups of coffee and a cup of "mystery" soup, which she decides she will let Robin have the privilege of taste-testing first.

Robin has fallen asleep on the couch, he's not sure when he zoned out (probably around when his body and mind fell into a perpetual state of cold, hard, unfeeling numbness) but he's jolted awake by the sound of the big automatic hospital doors whooshing open. His body protests against the sudden movement of his limbs without warning and he groans audibly, running his hands over his eyes and through his hair. He glances up and sees Regina giving him a small pitying smile.

"Hey," She greets.

"Hey."

She takes a seat beside him wordlessly and presses one of the cups of his coffee into his side, "I brought you some coffee." He takes it with a murmured _thank you _and they both simultaneously take sips from the still horrid black liquid, the hospital claims to be coffee. Regina sputters, making choking sounds as she struggles to swallow the liquid and not spit it out like a child would, and Robin's face twists in disgust.

"Ugh, yep, still dreadful," He remarks and then they're laughing. It's short lived, the memory of the weight hanging above them too heavy and large to truly ignore and pretend is gone. Regina reaches over grabs his hand and presses her lips against his skin. "Thank you," he whispers. "For being here, you don't have to be and-"

"I do though, because regardless of anything else we are you are my best friend, and that's what friends do for each other, I think, I've never really been an expertise in that area," Regina confesses and Robin glances at her.

"I can't see why not," He remarks, bumping into her playfully and earning a grin from her. "You're my best friend too," He adds and presses a kiss into her hair.

"Excuse me, Mr. Locksley," a voice interrupts them. Regina looks up and Robin jumps up.

"Yea, that's me," He says raising his hand and Regina stands, wrapping her arms around him, pressing her nose into his shoulder.

_Please God, please_ she says desperately, a last minute plea. _Universe, Allah, anyone please protect that boy. _

Then the doctor smiles, "He's stable and he should be waking shortly-" before the doctor can continue Robin is smiling so wide and he turns, takes Regina into his arms and slams his lip to hers. Kissing her with a fire that screams of the relief he's feeling after the torment he's been through in the last couple of hours. He pulls away and he's all dimples and grins, and laughter and he hugs her and then the doctor and Regina smiles and laughs as she embraces Robin for what feels like the millionth time.

"He's going to be okay," Robin gasps in disbelief.

"For now, yes," the doctor - Dr. Lucas - according to her name tag, says with a smile. She imagines it must be a great relief to tell the parents their child is going to live another day, when sometimes they have to tell parents that their children have died. "I can take you back and explain what's happened, but for now I think it's best if only-"

"Of course," Regina nods and steps back, running her hand along the length of Robin's arm. "I'll see you later."

"Thank you," and with that he walks out of her reach, falling in step with Dr. Lucas (who's rather beautiful Regina notices with slight irritation), listening attentively as she starts to explain what happened and the pair disappear behind the hospital doors leading to the pediatrics oncology ward and Regina smiles, stuffing her hands into her pocket, closes her eyes and mutters, _thank you_. She doesn't care who or what magic of the universe kept this boy alive, but she's thankful.

Regina smiles and walks back towards her son's room, passing the nurse's desk. A new face is leaning across the desk talking to the head nurse, Granny, and he's handsome, has a strange accent, that seems slightly Americanized. She pauses outside Henry's room, pulling her cellphone out to check her messages, check in with work, make sure the city hall building has not gone up in flames in her absence.

"Okay, you'll just have to wait out here, Mr. Locksley's son just got out of surgery, I'll have a nurse tell him you're here, Mr.-" Regina looks up at this, who's here to see Robin? A brother? He did not mention having any siblings, but that would explain the accent.

"Will. Will Scarlet."

**Ooooh Will is back what's Robin going to think of that? Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, leave reviews if you liked it! Thanks for reading guys!**


End file.
